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£45
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Mental Capacity & Best Interests Refresher / Practice Clinic - Open Course - Teams
Highlights
Delivered Online
3 hours
Dates
Description
Mental Capacity & Best Interests Refresher / Practice Clinic
Mental capacity and best interest decision-making are central to lawful, person-centred care. However, many staff and managers can still feel uncertain when applying the Mental Capacity Act in real situations, especially when decisions involve risk, family disagreement, fluctuating capacity, care planning, daily choices or documentation.
This practical refresher and practice clinic is designed for care staff, senior carers, team leaders, managers, care coordinators and others who already have some awareness of the Mental Capacity Act but would benefit from revisiting the key principles and applying them to real care scenarios.
The session explores how to recognise when a capacity assessment may be needed, how to keep decisions specific, how to move from assessment into best interest decision-making, and how to record the reasoning clearly. The emphasis is on confidence, practical application and avoiding common misunderstandings.
This is not a legal lecture. It is a practical clinic-style workshop designed to help delegates strengthen everyday decision-making, improve documentation, and apply MCA principles in a realistic care setting.
What the course will cover
Refresher on the five key principles of the Mental Capacity Act
Understanding decision-specific capacity
Avoiding assumptions based on diagnosis, age, disability or behaviour
Recognising when an informal decision is enough and when a more formal assessment may be needed
Supporting people to make their own decisions wherever possible
Common areas of uncertainty in care settings
Moving from capacity assessment to best interest decision-making
Consulting with family, advocates, professionals and relevant others
Considering wishes, feelings, beliefs, values and least restrictive options
Recording the decision and the reasoning clearly
Practice scenarios and discussion clinic
Aim
To refresh delegates’ understanding of mental capacity and best interest decision-making, and to build confidence in applying MCA principles to real care situations.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, delegates will be able to:
Recall the five key principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
Explain why capacity must be considered in relation to a specific decision.
Recognise when a mental capacity assessment may be required.
Identify practical steps that support a person to make their own decision.
Avoid common assumptions and misunderstandings about capacity.
Describe how to move from a capacity assessment to a best interest decision.
Identify who may need to be consulted as part of a best interest process.
Understand the importance of wishes, feelings, values and least restrictive options.
Improve the clarity of MCA and best interest documentation.
Apply learning to real care scenarios through discussion and practice.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for:
Care Staff
Senior Carers
Team Leaders
Deputy Managers
Registered Managers
Care Coordinators
Support Workers
Personal Assistants
Staff involved in care planning, risk assessment, documentation, reviews or decision-making
Delivery style
This is a practical, discussion-based refresher and practice clinic using realistic care scenarios, reflective questions and problem-solving exercises. Delegates will be encouraged to bring examples of situations they find difficult, such as refusal of care, family disagreement, risky decisions, fluctuating capacity, day-to-day choices and when to escalate concerns.
The session is designed to move delegates from “I know the principles” to “I can apply them confidently in real care practice.”
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